China Books

[Indent] 'A captivating and splendid account of a complex nation on the cusp of tradition and modernity. Bhutan is distinctive - from its social structures to its development philosophy of Gross National Happiness. The Blessings of Bhutan is based on extensive travel and interviews. Written in an accessible style, the authors blend narrative about the country's history, religion, arts, and governance with lively personal anecdotes. It is an excellent contribution to the study of contemporary Bhutan that will appeal to laymen and scholars alike' - Karma Ura, Director of the Centre for Bhutan Studies. (For this item please quote stock ID 20699) ISBN: 9780824826796

[Indent] This is the second in a series of collected essays by one of today's most distinguished scholars of Indian Buddhism. Schopen displays the erudition and originality that have contributed to a major shift in the way that Indian Buddhism is perceived, understood, and studied. 'Unquestionably the freshest, most exciting scholarship to have emerged in the field in half a century' - Buddhist Studies Review. 'Witty and always provocative ...' - History of Religions. (For this item please quote stock ID 21236) ISBN: 9780824827748

[Indent] 'No serious scholar of Buddhist studies can afford to ignore this argumentative, challenging, and provocative set of essays ... In each case, Schopen's arguments are refreshing, honest, often brilliant, and always cogently presented' - Journal of Religion. 'Shopen has written a number of articles that have challenged some of the most basic assumptions in the field of Buddhist Studies, and this book is a collection of the most influential of his works. Several are rightly regarded as classic studies in the field, and all should be required reading for anyone with more than a passing interest in Buddhist Studies' - Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, Fall 1998 'Schopen's treatment of this material has been extremely insightful and original, and his work has been instrumental in overturning many of the cherished convictions that had long constituted the "received wisdom" of Buddhist studies. In particular, his articles have prompted significant revision in thought regarding the development of Mahayana and regarding the role of the monastic religious in Buddhist cultic life' - Philosophy East & West 50 (2000). Collected Papers on the Archaeology, Epigraphy, and Texts of Monastic Buddhism in India. (For this item please quote stock ID 22715) ISBN: 9780824818708

Subhash Jaireth was born in a small town in Punjab, India and now lives in Canberra, Australia. He is well known for his poems, short stories and essays that have appeared in major Australian literary publications. Before settling in Australia, he spent nine years in Moscow studying geology. He has published poems in Hindi, Russian and English, and his major works include a collection of Hindi poems Before the Bullet Hit Me (1994) and a verse-narrative in English Unfinished Poems for Your Violin (1996). This collection of poems tells the story of Yashodhara, the wife of Gautama. Legend is that Gautama, the would-be Buddha, was born in the 6th century BC as the son of the king of a small warrior tribe of the Sakyas based in the principality of Kapilavastu in south- western Nepal. At the age of 29, Gautama left his palace, his wife, and his newly born son Rahul, to search of love, peace and salvation. The poems relate the story of Yashodhara in a poetic form that was popular in ancient and medieval Indian, Sanskrit and non-Sanskrit literatures. The season-poems follow a strict poetic structure and represent the voice of Yashodhara; the longer narrative poems that interject the season-poems are written in the voice of a contemporary narrator. (For this item please quote stock ID 22158) ISBN: 9781876957056

'The first complete translation of one of Candrakirti's major works into precise and readable English is a masterful achievement that might well encourage further collaboration between Western and Tibetan scholars. This is a contribution to be applauded' - Journal of Religion. 'Huntington's philosophical interpretation ... is argued with force and clarity. It corrects (with panache) many of the misinterpretations of Madhyamika still current among Anglophone writers' - Journal of the American Oriental Society. (For this item please quote stock ID 8379) ISBN: 9780824817121